


Playing Pretend

by lyn452



Series: Jonerys Week 2019 [4]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cute, Cute Kids, F/M, Fluff, Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 15:15:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19379302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lyn452/pseuds/lyn452
Summary: Day 4. Family. Rhaegar wishes he could spend more time with his second son, but at least Jon has Daenerys.





	Playing Pretend

**** Rhaegar wished he had more time to spend with his children, but being a king always had to come first. Luckily it meant he did get to spend some time with Aegon, to teach him what he would have to know in the future, but Rhaenys and Jon weren’t so lucky. Rhaenys was nearly a woman now, and Rhaegar wished he knew her better. He wanted to avoid making the same mistake with Jon. 

He’d decided to let his Hand deal with the requests from the lords and commonfolk today as he sought out his youngest child. Embarrassingly, he had to ask the septa where he might find the boy when Jon wasn’t in his rooms. What kind of father didn’t know where to find his child?

A busy one, Lyanna might have teased him. Rhaegar’s heart tightened at the thought of his lost love. She would be so proud of their child and disappointed that Rhaegar didn’t know him better. He resolved once again to do better. Wyalla had told him that Jon was often in the stables or the practice yard. “And if you don’t find him there, just find your sister and you’ll find Jon soon enough.”

That comment had made Rhaegar smile. Even he knew that his little sister Daenerys and Jon were close. There were of an age, but their connection went deeper than that, as the same could be said of Aegon but he didn’t seem to seek out either of them. Jon on the other hand, was Daenerys’ shadow, which fit as most considered Daenerys to be fashioned from pure light. He was dark where she was light, he was broody and morose where she was bubbly smiles, but they seemed to fit together, as if the gods had fashioned them that way.

Rhaegar believed in prophecies. Too many had come true for them to be nonsense, but he mostly ignored the stories surrounding Jon and Daenerys that he heard. They were just children, not ready for such lofty ideas as the Prince That Was Promised or a Song of Ice and Fire. Besides, Rhaegar was convinced that Aegon would be that chosen one. He was of the line and he had been born on Dragonstone, unlike Jon.

He dismissed the claims about Daenerys Stormborn being the chosen one, as the prophecy clearly said prince, not princess. Aemon had warned him not to dismiss anything in their exchanged letters, but Rhaegar had pointed out that chasing every possibility was likely to drive him as mad as his father had been.

Rhaegar tried not to think of Aerys. His father had been a cruel, selfish, vain man, but his father all the same, and he remembered the man Aerys had been in his youth. Not perfect, but loving enough towards him. Proud of him before he saw him as a rival. Glad to have him as an heir until that snake Varys began whispering poison in his ear. He had looked for another way, but when he’d returned from the Trident to find his father dead and Jaime Lannister holding the bloody sword, he’d granted the Kingsguard an immediate pardon. He’d never seen the proud lion look so grateful to anyone, even as Rhaegar gently chided him to get off of his chair, as the knight had sat on the Iron Throne after his deed. He knew people whispered “Kingslayer” about Jaime, but Rhaegar had never allowed it in his presence, and had gained a loyal ally in the knight. One he could trust his family’s lives with. 

Though not releasing Jaime from his vows had incurred Twyin Lannister’s wrath. Rhaegar had attempted to placate the man by offering Cersei a marriage to Oberyn or Stannis, his closest cousins, but he knew one of her children would need to be married to one of Rhaegar’s before Tywin would ever be satisfied.

If Rhaegar was being honest with himself, Tywin would never be satisfied until a Lannister sat the Iron Throne, but he wouldn’t permit that. He often thought the best decision his father ever made was to refuse the marriage between Cersei and him though Aerys could have phrased the denial much more delicately.

Not finding Jon in the stables or practice yard, Rhaegar began to comb through some of Daenerys’ favorite spots, namely the gardens and the Dragonpit. Daenerys was fascinated with dragons, loved to study every place the dragons had once been along with her books. She had once asked Rhaegar how they could awaken the dragons again.

“No one knows,” he’d told her. “Aegon tried to wake the eggs our family had left, but he burned along with the rest of Hardenhall for his troubles.”

Daenerys had looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, “What about the blood?”

“What?” Rhaegar had asked. 

“Fire and Blood, those are our words. You cannot wake a dragon with fire alone.” She had said it with such surety it had made Rhaegar’s heart stop. 

He’d leaned forward and whispered a question to her, “Do you dream, Dany?”

The little girl rolled her eyes. “Everyone dreams, Rhae.”

Not everyone, but Rhaegar didn’t bother correcting her. “What do you dream of, little dragon?”

“Snow and ice covering all of Westeros. I saw the Wall once. Then the dragons come and burn it all, making it green again, as a wolf howls.” Daenerys smiled. “I like the wolf, it’s my favorite part. He’s white but he’s got red eyes, just like my dragon.”

“Your dragon?”

“Yep, my dragon is black with red eyes. He’s pretty and huge, just like Balerion.” Her nose wrinkled. “I’m going to give him a better name than that though.”

Rhaegar had chuckled as he kissed his sister’s temple and sent her to bed, but her dream stayed with him. Dragon dreams. Rhaegar had them too, but his never featured dragons. He thought of Daenerys’ namesake and the great doom. She had seen it and saved them all. Rhaegar couldn’t help but think that history was repeating itself. But what did Daenerys’ dreams mean? 

“Dany,” Jon’s voice broke through Rhaegar’s thoughts. “Dany, I don’t want to play knights anymore.”

“Fine,” Daenerys responded. Rhaegar tried to track the children by their voices. He knew he could call out and they would come running, but he was interested to know how Daenerys and Jon spent their time together. Daenerys said nothing for awhile before then declaring, “We’ll play king and queen then. I’ll be Good Queen Alysanne and you be King Jaehaerys. It should of been your name instead of Aegon, anyway.”

“We can’t be king and queen, Dany. Aegon is the heir.” His serious son said in response.

“It’s just pretend. Don’t get so worried.” 

Rhaegar nearly chuckled at them. Both children were fascinated with Targaryen history, and he wasn’t surprised to find it seeped into their playing. He supposed he shouldn’t be spying on them, the whole point of this exercise was to spend time with Jon, but it was nice to put his worries for the realm aside for a moment and just listen to children play. Rhager sat under a tree. He listened and watched as they flew around on their dragons and battled Maegor the Cruel. Rhaegar was a powerful man now, King of the Seven Kingdoms and all the other titles, but in this moment he just wished he could protect the innocence of these two, keep them safe and happy. 

But it was an impossible dream. 

They had stopped flying and were staying in a castle. Daenerys was pretending to care for their children, while Jon stood behind her, as if waiting for her instruction on what he should do to continue the game. She didn’t disappoint, standing and walking over to him to kiss him.

To Rhaegar’s surprise, it was on the mouth. A closed-lip kiss between innocent children, but he still didn’t expect it. He expected even less for Jon to kiss back until he broke off, wiping his lips. “You shouldn’t kiss me like that Dany. It’s wrong.”

Daenerys folded her hands, looking down. “Don’t you think I’m pretty?” 

“Yes, but the High Septon said…”

“I don’t care what that old man said and you shouldn’t either. Dragons don’t listen to priests.”

“Baelor did.” Jon’s hands went into his pockets. 

“Are you going to lock me in the Maidenvault when you get older, Jon?”

“Baelor was king, I’m not going to be. I’m not a dragon anyway.”

“Yes, you are. Don’t listen to Viserys.” Rhaegar frowned. What was Viserys saying? He knew his brother was their father’s son, but he was mostly harmless. The king wasn’t exactly happy to indulge his selfish brother’s whims, but his cruelties were minor and he wasn’t popular or smart enough to stage a coup. 

“Viserys is older.”

“That doesn’t make him wiser. It doesn’t make him anything but older.”

Rhaegar smiled. Daenerys was wise beyond her years. He should spend more time with her as well. She had been an orphan since she was born and Rhaegar had been both brother and father to her. He thought of the Targaryen tradition of incest, maybe it did run in the blood. 

Finished with their game, Jon and Daenerys sat on the grass and talked now. “What do you think is going to happen in the future?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll be a knight. A Kingsguard like Ser Dayne or Lannister.” 

Rhaegar didn’t disapprove of Jon’s idea, but he didn’t like it either. He had plans for all of his children, plans that included marriages. Daenerys frowned as well. “If you become a Kingsguard, we might be separated.” 

“Why would you leave?”

“I’ll have to marry someone.”

“Aren’t you going to marry Aegon?” 

“I don’t know.” Daenerys tugged her legs under her chin. 

Rhaegar realized he’d never talked to them about his plans, his children (and Daenerys, who might as well be his daughter) didn’t know what awaited them. Though Rhaegar was waiting for them all to get a little older first. He was surprised they were already thinking about it. 

They were so young. Too young to already be thinking about politics and playing the game. Rhaegar had hoped to spare them that for as long as he could. He sighed and prepared to get up and join them properly, when he heard Daenerys say, “We’ll have dragons someday, Jon. We’ll have dragons and we’ll fly away from here. We’ll go to Essos and we’ll live in a little cottage where no one can bother us.” 

“Can we get a dog?”

“Yes. We can get three dogs.”

The thought made Jon smile. Children were so easy to please, Rhaegar thought. He wished the mere thought of a dog could make him happy. He thought about finding a dog for Jon, maybe in the future. 

“Then we’ll get married and we’ll live happily ever after,” Daenerys pronounced proudly. 

Rhaegar frowned. He heard Jon respond, “Sounds good to me.”

Rhaegar wondered if Aegon the Unlikely ever knew his second son and first daughter would ruin his plans. Rhaegar had planned to use his children and siblings’ marriages to heal the realm. But he could already see the cracks in such a plan forming. Jon might be persuaded by his sense of duty and honor, but Dany was headstrong and willful. Rhaegar began to wonder what he could make work if he only had three marriages to work with.

He realized it was time to return to the realm and his duty. He didn’t look forward to it. 


End file.
